The only thing to mar Martin’s newfound life was the sensation of always being watched. Marie, unfortunately, hadn’t warmed to him and it didn’t look like she ever would, either. Whenever he was alone without Danny or Jack for any substantial amount of time, he inevitably found her observing him with those sharp, dark eyes of hers. Funny how two pairs of eyes could be the same color, doing the same thing, and yet feel so very different. When Jack watched him, Martin felt loved and safe; when Marie did it, he felt lower than scum and fearful.

An obvious answer was, of course, to make sure that he was alone with her as little as possible, but that wasn’t always feasible. When Jack and Danny were in the office on a day that they didn’t need him there, usually involving a high-profile or particularly violent case, Martin would stay home. And when that happened, he had to go downstairs eventually, if only to eat. On those days, he grabbed a piece of fruit and left as quickly as he could, hoping against hope not to run into Marie, but usually managing to do so. He was pretty sure that she was lying in wait for him, but then scolded himself for being paranoid.

He usually spent the day at the library, reading everything he could about the law and law enforcement. While he’d had the basics in education, Martin hadn’t gone beyond a high school level. He was pretty sure it was because his father had wanted to keep him as dependent as possible. He hadn’t been able to go to the library before living with Jack, had been forced to steal glimpses of knowledge from whatever books were left lying around the house, but now he could. And while having only a piece of fruit or two to eat all day wasn’t exactly pleasant, it was better than waiting at the house for Marie to do something to him.

Not that he thought she would do anything to him physically, but he’d had more than enough emotional abuse in his life already.

When it was nearing the end of the day, he would call Jack or Danny at the office to see if they were coming home. If they were, he would head there to meet them, there would be a big dinner and things would be great. If they weren’t, he would head home when the library closed, grab some bread or pastry of some kind from the kitchen and hurry upstairs to wait for his lovers.

It was a cold November morning some three months after moving into Jack’s home that he trudged through six inches of snow to get to the library, having just endured Marie’s undeserved tongue-lashing. Low and depressed, Martin wished that he’d been able to accompany Jack and Danny into the office, long before he got to the library.

“Martin, honey, what on earth are you doing here?” Leah, one of the older librarians, a buxom black woman, demanded. “You should be home, snug in bed, not out in the cold!”

He smiled at her, a little cheered by her fussing. “I’m fine, Leah, thanks.”

She shook her head and ordered, “You be sure and come by here for lunch, all right? I’ve got some leftover pork chops and I know how much you like my cooking!”

The smile increased at the prospect of a real lunch and Martin nodded, hiking his back-pack up further onto his shoulder. She knew he was a Concubine and treated him like her long-lost son, instead of the reserved judgement most people tended to give him on seeing his ring. They’d struck a friendship the second week that he’d started going to the library and it had grown all the stronger since. She kept urging him to tell Jack about Marie, but he resisted, not wanting to cause further strife to an already strained marriage. He’d brought enough trouble into the home already just by being there.

Settling into one of the more comfortable sofas, Martin curled up on it and opened the criminal law book that he’d been studying. He wanted to be able to help Jack as much as possible, when he was allowed to come into the office. The more knowledge he had, the better he could help, which was why he forced himself through all the dry tomes that he could manage. He might not wind up with an actual degree, but he’d have as much of the knowledge as he possibly could.

When his stomach started rumbling, Martin sighed and closed the book, admitting that the pages had been swimming in front of his eyes more than usual, at least to himself. He knew that Danny was starting to get worried about why he wasn’t putting on any weight, but as long as he could keep out of a doctor’s office, he could bluff his way into fooling the kind-hearted slave. 

Just as he started packing up the books, an all-too-familiar voice announced, “You’re looking well, Martin.”

Alarm flared through Martin at his father’s voice and his head whipped around to find the man standing a short distance away. He was dressed as impeccably as always, that aura of authority and power settled around him like an extra overcoat.

“Perhaps a little on the thin side,” Victor Fitzgerald amended. “Has Malone been treating you all right?”

Standing, Martin managed to keep his voice steady as he answered, “Better than you ever did.”

A faint smile surfaced on Victor’s face. “I’m glad to hear you’re doing all right then.”

“What do you want?” Martin demanded, wary. “What are you even doing out of prison?”

Victor gave him a cold look, all the amusement gone, and countered, “Sorry that your plan to disgrace and enslave me didn’t work?”

Flushing under the hostile and more than accurate assessment, Martin replied, “You broke the law, Father, and you would have taken me from Jack.”

“You’re damn right I would have, and I still will,” Victor snapped.

Martin backed up as Victor strode to him, but wasn’t quick enough to escape the hand that grabbed his shoulder and squeezed painfully tight over his collarbone. He was pushed up against the wall, the other man seeming to loom over him, and panic ran through him. Long honed survival instincts kicked in and he stayed very still, knowing that if he didn’t give his father a target, he was less likely to get beaten.

Leaning in, Victor stated, “You’re going to my office with me where you will sign a separation intent from Malone. You can use an abuse and neglect complaint, since it’s clear that you’re underweight and malnourished.”

“I’ve gained weight since living with Jack,” Martin replied, trying to stay calm. “And I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Yes you are, boy, and once the paperwork is taken care of, you’re coming home with me where I can finally be rid of you to my advantage. Larry Henderson is still smitten with you, despite the fact that you’re now used goods. I don’t understand it, but he’s willing to honor the betrothal contract for you and I’m going to see it happen.”

Shaking his head, Martin tried to pull free, but the other man was still stronger than he was by a good deal and he was shaking with fear from the confrontation. Where was Jack? How had his father been released without any word to them? How did he know where Martin spent his days alone?

“You didn’t really think that you could put me away, did you?” Victor continued, inexorable. His hand tightened further and he hissed, “Malone made a serious mistake in making me his enemy, Martin, and the first time he makes another one, I’ll be there to be sure that he goes down in flames. Do you hear me, Martin? You know that I can make it happen, too, don’t you?”

Martin had to nod because he knew that it was true.

“Save him the pain and disgrace. Come with me now and I’ll leave him alone.”

But Martin shook his head, looking away from that furious gaze to the floor.

“You come with me now, Martin, or so help me I will make your life a living hell. What went before will seem like paradise compared to the torment I will visit upon you, you worthless piece of nothing!” Victor snarled quietly.

Huddling in on himself, Martin tried to block out the words, but he knew that his father could make it happen. He knew that if he didn’t go, Jack would just get into more and more trouble because of him and he just wasn’t worth it.

“Martin? Are you all right, honey?” Leah asked from behind his father. “I was waiting lunch on you.”

His father gave him a warning look before standing away to look at Leah. “This is none of your affair, so I suggest that you leave.”

Leah stiffened, looking between Martin and Victor, then said, “Oh I don’t think so, whoever you are. You’re going to get your skinny white ass out of this building before I call security on you and have it dragged out of here.”

Victor looked back at him, but Martin kept his eyes on the floor. It wouldn’t take much to break him just then and he didn’t want to leave Jack or Danny, especially not for his father’s plans.

“You heard me! Get!” Leah exclaimed, pulling out her cell phone.

Holding up his hands, Victor placated, “I’m leaving. Goodbye, Martin, I’ll see you again another time.”

As soon as he was gone, Martin slid to the floor, unable to keep his legs steady any longer. Hugging his knees to his chest, he covered his head with his arms and closed his eyes, praying that Jack would come and get him.

*  *  *  *

“Son of a bitch!”

Danny looked up in surprise at the fury in Jack’s voice, instinctively standing to ask, “Jack? What’s wrong?”

“Victor Fitzgerald is out,” Jack snarled, stabbing the buttons on the phone without even hanging up from the first call. “Marie? Is Martin there? Damn it! When did he leave? That early? And he hasn’t come back? Did he say where...no I know you’re not his...fine!”

Flinching when Jack slammed the phone down hard enough to crack it, Danny ventured, “He’s probably at the library. That’s where he likes to go, remember?”

Jack nodded and went over to grab his coat. Following him to the door, Danny asked worriedly, "You don't think he's somehow already found Martin, do you?"

"Knowing Fitzgerald? It's not only possible, but probable," Jack answered grimly.

Danny was hard pressed to keep up with Jack without running, despite the longer legs. He knew that Jack would find a way to blame himself for something over which he had no control, that was just how he was.

Waiting until they were in the car, Danny took his Master’s hand as he reached for the ignition and said firmly, “There was nothing you could have done differently. If you’d known Fitzgerald was out, you would have kept Martin close today. You can’t pull Martin together if you’re all pissed off and blaming yourself, when you should be angry at Fitzgerald.”

For a moment, he thought that he’d gone too far, but then Jack sighed explosively and gave him a wan smile and asked fondly, “What would I do without you, Danny?”

Danny grinned. “Self-destruct in a matter of hours?”

“Something like that. C’mere,” Jack ordered.

Leaning in, Danny accepted the loving, deep kiss that Jack gave him, humming happily into it. It was over too quick, and he sighed with regret. “We haven’t been spending enough time together.”

Jack caressed his face briefly and agreed, “You’re right. I think we need to get back to basics, too. I’ll call and see if the cabin’s available this weekend, how’s that?”

Danny smiled brilliantly and stole another kiss before answering, “It’s perfect!”

Chuckling, Jack pulled his hand free and started the car. He drove with one hand on the back of Danny’s neck, which relaxed Danny, comforting him as touch always did. They’d always been physical together, even before Danny had become his slave, and it was a connection that he never wanted to lose. They pulled up in front of the library and even though Jack parked in the no parking zone, Danny was sure he could care less. The other man was simply focused on getting to Martin and fixing whatever damage the elder Fitzgerald had caused. Whoever had dropped the ball in not notifying them was going to get more than an earful, Danny knew.

The woman at the main desk directed them to the law library, which was a surprise to Danny. When he’d asked Martin what he was doing so much at the library, he’d answered that it was just nice to be able to read whatever he wanted. And he’d said it in such a way that Danny had assumed it was light reading material.

They were met by a black woman who dwarfed them both, in height and size, but her eyes were kind and her face tight with worry as she greeted. “Agent Malone?”

“That’s me,” Jack answered, his eyes searching and landing on Martin against the wall.

Danny’s heart sank as he took in the too-small bundle of limbs that comprised Martin. It looked like he’d backtracked almost to the beginning of when they’d first gotten him. Exchanging a worried and angry look with Jack, Danny walked forward, leaving Jack to talk with the librarian. Crouching beside Martin, he greeted, “Hey pal, you okay?”

Martin looked up at him fearfully and asked, “Is Jack really angry?”

Surprised, though of course he shouldn’t be, Danny shook his head and put his hand on Martin’s shoulder. Rubbing across his back, Danny promised, “Jack’s not angry at all, Martin, not with you. He’s upset that you had to go through this alone, at all really, but he’s not upset with you.”

“That’s right, Martin,” Jack echoed, walking over to them.

Martin hesitated, then launched himself at Jack, wrapping his arms around the other man and practically burrowing into him. Danny sighed, but wasn’t offended by being left out. He knew from personal experience just how reassuring Jack could be. How only being held by Jack could banish the fear and uncertainty, and God knew that Martin had both in spades.

“Ssh, easy now, I’ve got you,” Jack murmured, his hand rubbing up and down Martin’s back. “You’re okay, Martin, you’re safe.”

“He said, he said that if I went with him, you’d be safe, that if I didn’t, he was going to pull you down, and he can do it, Jack, he can! Nothing sticks to him! He’s out and he’s free and he’s going to…”

“Martin!”

Martin bit back the words at Jack’s interruption, staring up at him, afraid.

Jack took a breath and released him only to grip his shoulder and promise, “Nothing is going to happen to me. Your Father isn’t the only one who’s got friends, understand me? I need you to relax and calm down, okay?”

Nodding, still shaky but better, Martin whispered, “Okay.”

“Good. Now. Let’s go home,” Jack said, hand sliding down his arm to take his hand.

The librarian stepped forward. “Agent Malone, I need to speak to you about something before you go.”

“Leah, no!” Martin exclaimed.

Hands on her hips, the woman countered, “You had a chance to come clean, Martin honey, I told you to tell him.”

“Tell me what?” Jack demanded.

“You need to do something about that wife of yours.”

Danny could see that Jack was as startled as he was by the angry statement.

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t you see how skinny that boy is? Whenever you’re not around, your wife’s been driving him out of the house without any food and sure no money to get anything. I try to bring a little extra with me, but we’re tight at my house, so it isn’t enough for the poor boy.”

And suddenly, it all made sense. The reason that no matter how much he fed Martin, the other man just would not gain any real weight. It was because for two or three days a week, or more, depending on how often they weren’t home, Martin wasn’t eating anything except for supper, and maybe he wasn’t even eating supper.

When Jack heard all of that, he pulled away from Martin completely astonishment rapidly changing to anger. He forced it back and said politely to Leah, “Thank you for the information, ma’am, I appreciate it.”

“If I’d known your last name, I would’ve called you months ago, but Martin wouldn’t tell me,” she replied, apologetically.

“Well, thank you for telling me now. Martin? Start walking.”

Danny waved at the librarian and winked at her as he walked by. She relaxed at the wink and waved back. When he turned forward and hurried after Martin and Jack though, his easy-going expression vanished.

It was not going to be a pleasant night at the Malone household.

*  *  *  *

Jack was so furious that he could barely see straight. It was so bad that he ordered Danny to drive because he wasn’t all that sure they wouldn’t end up in an accident. How could Marie have treated Martin that way, practically starving him? Even if they were at the worst their marriage had ever been, he’d never thought of her as being that cruel to someone else. It was a very unpleasant realization about a woman that he’d thought he’d known.

When they pulled in front of the brownstone, he got out and left Martin and Danny to follow. Both hurried after him, which was a good thing, because he was in no mood to deal with either of them giving him a hard time or banding together. All he wanted from both, was complete obedience until he could sort everything out.

Once inside the front hall, he turned to Danny and said quietly, “Bring Martin upstairs to the guest room and then come right back down here. Wait for me in the living room. Do not hang around him, Danny, do you understand me?”

Danny’s eyes widened and he protested, “The guest room? But Jack, it’s not...”

“Danny, not another word unless you want to be in agonizing pain for the next week.”

Swallowing nervously at the very real threat, Danny lowered his eyes and nudged Martin towards the stairs.

Jack ignored the pleading look that Martin sent his way and went in search of Marie. He found her in the study, reading, and opened things with, “I think you need to go back to work.”

Startled, she looked up from the book and took off her glasses. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. The girls are in school now and you always said that you’d go back once they were, so go ahead. Go back to work,” Jack replied, folding his arms over his chest.

Leaning back in the chair, she asked coolly, “Do you want to tell me what I did wrong this time, or should I guess?”

He stalked forward and slammed his hand down on the desk, making her jump in fright. In a low voice, he demanded, “How about trying to starve Martin, to begin with?”

She flushed and retorted, “I did no such thing! I barely see the man.”

“Because you’ve got him scared out of his mind!” Jack shouted furiously. “What the hell did you think was going to happen, Marie? That I’d kick you out onto the street? That I’d divorce you once Martin settled in here? Or are you so self-centered that you just can’t bear to see me happy?”

“Happy!?” she shouted back, jumping to her feet. “What about me, Jack? How am I supposed to hold up my head when I go to the club or attend a function? My husband is fucking two men, his slave and his concubine, so what does that say about me!?”

Reining in his temper before he did something that he would regret, Jack took a breath and snapped, “It doesn’t say anything about you, Marie, not a Gods damned thing! How many of your friends have husbands with two or three pleasure slaves and set the wives aside in another apartment, cast off but not free, no divorce and no way to have their own lives? What about your friends whose children are cast aside in favor of ones born to the Concubines? What about them? It doesn’t reflect on them, does it? No. It just says that their husbands are bastards. And you know that I would never do that to you or the girls. Never. You’ve got it in writing, if you don’t trust my word any more. Why would you starve him, Marie? He’s an innocent in all of this, this crap that’s between us. Just make me understand, please!”

She fell silent at that, looking away and flushing darker, maybe in shame, maybe in deeper anger, Jack couldn’t tell.

When it became apparent that she wasn’t going to answer, Jack pressed the heel of his palm to his eye and sighed. “Fine. You don’t want to talk? This is what’s going to happen. You’re going back to work. You’re going to find a full time job doing whatever the hell you want to do. Go back to being a lawyer for all I care. You will be out of the house by eight a.m. and stay out of it until six p.m.”

“The girls get back from school at...”

“Martin is going to look after the girls when they get home,” Jack interrupted. “He’s going to have the run of the house during the day until I get home. If you get home before I do, then you will treat him with the respect he deserves, or so help me Marie, you’ll live to regret it.”

“Respect? He’s nothing but a whore!” she spat.

Without thinking, Jack backhanded her, sending Marie sprawling to the wall where she stared at him in shock. Taking several deep breaths to control the temper that was trying like hell to get out and do even more damage, forcing himself to see the bruise already darkening on her cheek and remember how much he loathed wife-beaters, Jack said quietly, “I already warned you when I brought Martin home not to push me. Obviously, I didn’t make myself clear enough. If I find out from anyone that you’re mistreating Martin then your worst nightmares will come true. I will set you aside and leave you to fend for yourself and you will never see the girls again.”

Tears spilled as Marie gasped, “You can’t do that!”

“I can, and I will.”

“You bastard!”

“I’m not the one starving an innocent man.”

There was another long silence, but Jack didn’t look away. He wasn’t going to back down from this, not when Martin’s well being was at stake. Not when it was his responsibility to make sure that the gentle man was safe and protected.

Marie finally lowered her gaze and her shoulders slumped in defeat as she acquiesced, “Fine. But I can’t go out looking until this bruise fades.”

“Danny’ll be home keeping an eye on Martin until the weekend,” Jack informed her. “You can start looking on Monday.”

“Fine.”

Jack relaxed a little, sensing a true surrender in her words and tone. Regretful, he asked, “Do you know why I took Danny as my pleasure slave when I originally only bought him to keep him from being hurt and abused?”

She shook her head, mute.

“Because I knew that with him, I was loved,” Jack said simply. “I knew that he wanted me, and that he didn’t want to change anything about me, that he loved me. I don’t know where it all went so wrong between us, Marie. I haven’t changed in the fifteen years that we’ve been married, you did.”

With that, he left her to her thoughts and whatever phone calls she wanted to make to her friends to vent about what a horrible person he was. Danny was waiting for him in the living room, looking as anxious as Jack had ever seen him, and he offered the slave a wan smile.

Danny sighed in relief and went to him, sliding an arm around his waist and guiding him to the overstuffed chair that was Jack’s favorite. Once Jack was seated, Danny promptly dropped onto his lap and curled up close, swinging his legs over the side of the chair. Wrapping his arms around the slender man, Jack let himself relax further, burying his face against the side of Danny’s throat and breathing him in. A few minutes went by in silent, mutual comfort before Jack whispered, “How didn’t I guess, Danny? How the hell did I miss it? We knew something was wrong, that he wasn’t getting better, physically, how could I...”

Jack’s words were stopped by Danny’s kiss and he sighed into it, letting the other man take over for a short time, comforting through touch and connection. When he pulled back, Danny whispered, “You’re not a God, Master, no matter how good you are in bed.”

A short laugh escaped Jack at that and he grinned at Danny, tweaking his nose as he said, “You’re getting a little too forward there, my slave.”

Danny smiled and stole another kiss before responding, “You could always punish me for my boldness, Master.”

The amusement faded as quickly as it arrived and he shook his head. “No, I don’t think I’ll be in any mood for more punishment than I already have to mete out.”

Growing sober as well, Danny pleaded, “Can’t you forgive him this once, Master? He’s so miserable, so scared.”

But Jack shook his head again and said, “I can’t let this go, Danny, it’s too important. He lied to us and by doing so, caused himself injury. I can’t make him trust me, but I’ll damn sure make him obey me.”

“Or what? You’ll break the Contract?” Danny questioned fearfully.

Jack sighed, knowing that it would be an idle threat. There was no way he’d risk losing Martin, no matter what he did. “I don’t know, Danny, but I’ll think of something sufficiently unpleasant.”

“Of that, I’ve no doubt.”

The dryness in Danny’s voice quirked a smile across Jack’s lips. He lightly slapped the ass hanging off his lap and teased, “A few unpleasant memories of your own rising up, my slave?”

“Oh yeah. You’re so...devious...when it comes to a true punishment,” Danny opined with admiration and wariness.

Jack nuzzled at his jaw, then sucked lightly on his earlobe. “Thank you for this, Danny, but I need to go see to Martin now.”

Danny sighed and stood. “Should I make him a plate?”

Thinking about it, Jack answered, “Fix some broth. His stomach’s probably too upset and empty to handle anything more than that. Wait until I come back down before going up with it. And don’t talk to him when you leave it, either.”

“Yeah, okay,” Danny agreed reluctantly, heading for the kitchen.

Jack took a few minutes to clear his head after Danny left. The slave had banished his anger, which was only for the best. He couldn’t punish Martin when he was that emotional, it would only be detrimental to the younger man. Jack didn’t want to hurt him, just to make him think twice about lying to him in the future.

And what would be the best way to make that point?

*  *  *  *

Martin couldn’t even pace, he was so upset. He couldn’t trust himself not to walk out of the medium sized room to find Jack and ask to be punished just to be put out of his misery. He knew that Jack would never truly hurt him and so was waiting until he cooled off to dish out whatever beating he was going to give. When the door finally opened, he jumped in surprise, almost having convinced himself that Jack wasn’t even going to speak to him again that night. It was Jack, though, and the other man looked grave enough to worry Martin for real.

“I can’t make you trust me,” Jack began. “But I will not have you lying to me or to Danny, especially not when it can compromise your safety. You are not to leave this room except to use the bathroom. You aren’t to speak with Danny when he brings you food. You will finish whatever he sets in front of you to eat, or I punish him as it will be his responsibility to make sure you do. And he will tell me if you don’t eat something. You’ll be sleeping and living here for the foreseeable future.”

Martin stared after Jack in shock as the other man left without even giving him a chance to say anything in his own defense. The door closed with a quiet, but definitive thump. When it really sank in that he was alone, that Jack wasn’t coming back, Martin rolled onto his side on the bed and curled up into a ball, shaking.

*  *  *  *

Danny tapped lightly on the door to the guest room, but opened it anyhow when there was no answer. He spotted Martin on the bed, curled up in a ball around one of the pillows and sighed softly. He was just supposed to leave the soup and go, but Jack wanted to make sure that Martin ate, too, so he put the tray on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed. Rubbing his back, Danny said, “It’s going to be okay, Martin, I promise.”

Half-twisting over, Martin asked, “How can you say that? He hates me.”

“Oh Martin, he doesn’t hate you,” Danny soothed. “He’s upset and he’s punishing you, but he loves you. Never doubt that. Now come on and sit up so you can eat your soup.”

“I think I’ll throw up if I try,” Martin admitted, even as he sat up.

Danny combed his fingers through the short, soft hair. “Just take it slow and you’ll be fine. I have to go, but get some sleep, okay? It’ll look better in the morning.”

Martin sighed, but nodded.

Smiling, Danny leaned in for a brief kiss to the forehead, picked up the tray to give to Martin, then left. He walked down the hall to their bedroom where he knew Jack would be waiting. Ironically, it was doubtful that Jack would be hungry enough to eat anything until the next day, even though he was making Martin eat.

Jack was already curled up under the covers and Danny smiled at the determined expression on his Master’s face. It looked like Jack wasn’t anywhere near ready to let go of the blame and self-doubt over what he was doing to Martin. Peeling off his shirt, Danny tossed it aside and toed off his shoes and socks. Climbing onto the bed, he pulled the blankets off and straddled Jack’s ass, settling down on top of him and kissing the back of his neck. “You look like you could use a massage, Master.”

With a sigh, Jack answered, “I wouldn’t turn one down.”

“Good, ‘cause I wasn’t going to let you,” Danny teased lightly. “Don’t move.”

Rolling off the bed, he walked over to the attached bath and grabbed the lavender massage oil, knowing it would help soothe Jack into sleep. Danny took care of business while he was there, knowing that he wasn’t going to want to leave the bed when they were done. That done, he took the oil back to the bed and found the covers back up over Jack.

“Took you long enough,” Jack grumbled when Danny pulled them down again and sat on him.

Danny smiled and poured some of the oil on his hands, dropping the bottle to the bed so he could warm it before touching Jack. Using long, smooth strokes, he rubbed up and down the broad back, not yet digging in to banish the knots that waited. Caressing the warm skin, he kissed every scar that was etched into his Master’s flesh, a tribute to the strength of the man under him. It wasn’t often that Jack truly let Danny care for him and he was going to take advantage of it.

The massage went on for a long time as Danny lavished loving attention on every major and minor muscle group. He worked through every knot and kink that he could find, relishing when Jack would grunt in pain and then sigh in relief. By the time he’d returned to gentle, soothing strokes, Jack’s breathing was even and slow with that half-hitch that wasn’t quite a snore. Bending forward, Danny kissed Jack’s cheek and carefully climbed off of him. After setting the oil bottle on the nightstand table, he pulled the covers up and lifted Jack’s arm, sliding under it to curl up close.

Jack sighed deeply in his sleep and pulled him even closer and Danny smiled wistfully, wishing Martin were with them.

*  *  *  *

The phone woke Jack from a sound sleep and he groaned, not wanting to move from where he was wrapped around Danny in the warm cocoon under the blankets. It continued to ring, though, so he sighed and grabbed it, answering with a sleep rusty voice, “Yeah, Malone.”

“Jack? We’ve got a case,” Viv’s too-awake voice informed him.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Jack saw that it was only just four in the morning and said, “Yeah, okay. I’ll be in in twenty.”

“See you then.”

Danny mumbled a protest in his sleep and clung to him when Jack turned on the light and tried to get out of bed.

Smiling softly, Jack kissed his forehead and murmured in his ear, “Let go, Danny, it’s a case.”

That brought the younger man awake and he yawned hugely, asking, “A case?”

Jack pushed him back down and ordered, “Go back to sleep. You’re staying home with Martin, remember?”

“But...”

“Punishment’s still in effect, Danny,” Jack said sternly. “You don’t talk to him at all today, not even when you bring him food. Make sure he eats, or I toast your backside when I get home.”

“What if I have to talk to him to get him to eat?”

“Is that what took you so long last night?”

“Yeah.”

Jack thought about it, then grimaced. “All right, if he’s still that upset that he can’t eat, talk him through. But you leave directly after, you understand me?”

Danny nodded hastily and curled back up under the blankets, pulling Jack’s pillow close as a substitute. Jack had to stop himself from smiling at the sight, and started getting dressed. Viv had sounded tense during their short conversation, which meant it was even more urgent than one of their usual cases. He was ready to go in five minutes flat, down to shoes, tie, and overcoat and only paused to kiss Danny.

Smiling sleepily up at him, Danny said, “Wish I was going with you.”

“I know baby, but I’ll be fine. Viv and Sam will work it with me,” Jack replied. “And I’ll be careful, I promise.”

Brushing his hands through the close-cropped dark hair, Jack kissed his temple before heading out. It was going to be a really long day without either man at his side, there was no damn doubt about that.

*  *  *  *

Breakfast was a revelation when Marie entered the kitchen sporting a spectacular bruise on her cheek. She glared at him, daring him to say something about it, but Danny kept his mouth shut. He’d been on the receiving end of her diatribes before, but unlike Martin, had enough of a thick skin to brush it off as a woman seriously unhappy with her life. He kept stirring the eggs on the stove, keeping an eye on the girls who were crunching quietly away on their cereal. Neither of them said anything about their mother’s face, obviously having heard the raised voices the night before, even if not the words.

Danny had been more than surprised by the shouting. Not that Jack didn’t shout, because he blustered with the best of them; he just rarely did it to those close to him. He sure as hell had never hit Marie before. Then again, she’d never provoked him as bad as she had over Martin. Danny couldn’t even find it in himself to be sympathetic. She’d hurt Martin with her words, scaring him out of the house and doing so badly enough that the other man had lied to him and Jack about it. She’d also made it so that, if Martin wasn’t actively starving, he was at least seriously uncomfortable and unhealthy.

No. He really couldn’t be sympathetic for a sore cheek and bruised ego.

Scraping the eggs onto Martin’s plate, he snagged the toast and buttered it up, deciding against bacon, since that would probably be too heavy. Ruffling Hannah’s hair, he looked at them both and asked, “Done, mi hijas?”

The girls nodded and Hannah asked, “Where’s Martin?”

“He’s upstairs sleeping, bonita,” Danny answered. “Don’t worry. You’ll probably see him tonight after supper. If you do your homework and let me check it before Papa gets home.”

There was the usual rush to get the final items for school, but he left them to Marie, bringing the plate upstairs to Martin. He again tapped softly on the door before opening it, but Martin was still asleep when he entered the room. He took a moment to just look at the other man, taking in the pinched, troubled expression even while the other slept and sighed. Setting the plate on the bedside table, Danny sat on the bed and combed his fingers through Martin’s hair, murmuring, “Time to wake up, bebe, breakfast is ready.”

Martin shifted a little, waking reluctantly. Rubbing his eyes, he smiled sadly in greeting. “Jack too angry to talk to me still?”

“Nah, he got called in on a case,” Danny explained, picking up the plate and gesturing for Martin to sit up. As he did, Danny continued, “Viv called sometime around four this morning. Good thing I got him to bed early last night or he’d be a bear. Well, more of one.”

Giving him a tiny smile, Martin hesitated, then asked, “Should you be talking to me?”

“We’ll cover it under, ‘if he’s still too upset to eat, you can talk him through it,’” Danny answered, winking.

“I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

Danny shrugged it off and said, “I’d get into more if you don’t eat. You up for it?”

With a sigh, Martin nodded. “Yeah.”

“Good. I didn’t make a lot, because your stomach needs to fill up gradually, but I’ll be back with a snack in a couple of hours. And if you get thirsty, just give a holler and I’ll bring you up some juice.”

“Holler?”

“I don’t think Marie’s going to tell, Martin. As a matter of fact, I doubt she’s going to be anywhere near Jack in the future.”

“Still...”

Danny smiled at Martin’s strict adherence to Jack’s orders and allowed, “I’ll check on you every hour or so and see if you’re thirsty, how’s that?”

“Danny, I sorry to put you through...”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Danny interrupted. “Everything’s going to be fine, just like I said. When you’re done eating, why don’t you try and get more sleep. You look exhausted, bebe.”

Martin gave another wan smile and agreed, “I am.”

“Fighting with Jack’ll do that,” Danny said knowingly.

He stood to leave, but kissed Martin’s cheek before heading out.

*  *  *  *

Martin passed the time between Danny’s visits with food sleeping, reading, or just thinking. He did a lot of the last, trying to figure out why he hadn’t told Jack what was really going on. It wasn’t as if Jack would arbitrarily throw Marie and the girls into the street. Really, he’d never let the girls go, and would certainly make sure Marie had a place to go, if he ever put her aside.

It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that he let himself think about the real reason he hadn’t spoken up. Martin had been scared to death that it would be him to wind up without a home. That he wasn’t worth the effort to Jack for the other man to deal with an angry wife and a needy Concubine. That if Jack had to choose between them, of course he would take Marie’s side over Martin’s.

If I were a slave like Danny, I wouldn’t have to worry about this, Martin thought resentfully.

But a little voice inside countered, If you were a slave like Danny, Jack could sell you off to whoever he wanted and you wouldn’t have a choice anymore. Better to keep that control, keep that little bit to yourself so at least one thing can’t be used against you.

Which was true, but Martin couldn’t help but think of how devoted to Danny that Jack was. How the other man doted on his slave as he would the most precious of possessions. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel loved or wanted, but the contract between them wasn’t the most iron-clad. Jack had insisted that Martin have an out clause, in case he decided later that this wasn’t the life he wanted. He didn’t even need to file a causation report for the separation as his father had thought was needed. Jack had been very firm on that; too firm, because it almost made Martin think that it was really Jack who wanted the out.

Knowing that he was just driving himself further into depression, Martin curled up around the cool pillow and wiped angrily at the tears that slipped out. Which was, naturally, the moment that Danny chose to enter with his afternoon snack. Unable to take the upset expression that immediately surfaced, Martin rolled over to face the wall, clutching the pillow.

Danny didn’t say anything, thankfully; just set the plate down on the dresser and left.

He couldn’t stop the tears or the thoughts that raced around in circles, but he could at least eat whatever it was that Danny had brought. Martin didn’t want to be responsible for getting Danny into trouble, not when the slave had only even been kind and loving to him. A few moments later, he forced himself to sit up and take the plate from the bedside table. It was a slice of cheesecake, his favorite dessert, which meant that Danny had gone through extra trouble to call and have it delivered especially for Martin.

For some reason, that made the tears fall harder.

*  *  *  *

“Jack please,” Danny begged. “Please let me sleep with him tonight.”

Hardening himself against his slave was easier over the phone, thankfully, since he didn’t have to actually look at those big, brown eyes. The big brown eyes that could melt his resolve like so much ice in boiling water. “No, Danny.”

“But Jack, you didn’t see him. He’s so miserable and so upset, please?”

“No,” Jack repeated firmly, even though he winced. For Danny to be this insistent, Martin had to be a complete wreck. “He stays in the guest room alone again tonight and tomorrow. Keep checking on him, and you can talk to him a little if he seems too upset, but that’s it. I mean it, Danny.”

There was a heavy sigh, but Danny agreed, “All right, but I think you’re going overboard here.”

I have to, Jack thought wearily. “I’ll call you if we get a strong lead and it looks like we’ll wrap up tonight, but I don’t expect to. Probably won’t be home until tomorrow night at the earliest, maybe the day after that.”

Danny sighed again and said, “Yeah. Wish I was there to help you out.”

Looking at the mountain of paperwork on his desk, all people to be contacted and gone through with a fine-toothed comb, Jack echoed wryly, “Me, too, Danny, believe me.”

“Oh sure. You just love me for my people skills,” Danny grumbled.

But Jack heard the underlying humor present, thank God, and smiled. “True enough. Night, Danny, I love you.”

“Love you too, Jack. Good night, and good luck.”

Viv came in as he hung up and asked, “Everything all right at home?”

He only hesitated a moment before motioning her further inside.

She looked surprised, but closed the door behind her and sat in the chair in front of his desk. “What’s going on?”

“I found out yesterday that Martin hasn’t been eating on the days that he wasn’t here with us.”

“What? Why on earth not?”

“Apparently, Marie chased him out of the house without food or the means to buy any. I guess she intercepted the credit card I set up for him, too.”

Shocked, Viv demanded, “What are you going to do about it?”

“What can I do?” Jack answered, helpless. “She’s my wife.”

“And Martin’s your Concubine, Jack. He’s your responsibility more than Marie. God knows that you’ve tried with that woman over the years.”

“It’s not all her fault.”

“Of course not, but that doesn’t mean that she can run roughshod over everyone in the house.”

Grim, Jack said, “She’s not going to any more, believe me.”

Viv paused. “Should I be worried?”

“No. I didn’t even mean to, but I slapped her last night,” Jack admitted, embarrassed.

Eyebrows rising high, Viv repeated, “You slapped her?”

Jack sighed and confirmed, “Yeah. I backhanded her into the wall and gave her an ultimatum; behave or get out, basically.”

“Well it’s about damn time.”

He had been opening his mouth to defend himself, but stopped short at the satisfaction in Viv’s words. “Excuse me? This from the woman who advocates divorce if someone so much as pushes their spouse around verbally?”

She gave him a pointed look as she stood. “Exactly. Haven’t you wondered why I’ve been telling you to divorce her for the last three years, Jack? Think about it.”

Startled by her meaning, Jack couldn’t think of a thing to say.

*  *  *  *

The second day was far worse than the first, even though Danny promised him that Jack really was working on a case and not avoiding him. He’d slept so much the day before that it had proved elusive during the night. So he’d stayed awake staring at the ceiling until the early hours of the morning, finally dropping off sometime around five. Danny woke him much too early at nine with breakfast and he ate it, but didn’t really taste anything, not even the flavored syrup that Danny used for the pancakes.

He tried to divert himself with books, of which there were plenty to choose from, but kept reading the same page over and over. It was, thankfully, a good cover for when Danny came in with his lunch. He was glad to see a relieved smile on the slave’s face when he took in the book on Martin’s lap and left the sandwich and chips and soda for him to eat without saying much of anything.

Though he did still get the kiss on the cheek before Danny left, which was a comfort.

Giving up on reading partway through the afternoon, Martin stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes, not really expecting to fall asleep, but doing so anyhow. He woke to a gentle stroking of fingers through his hair and smiled sleepily, smelling Jack’s aftershave and feeling the callused fingertips against his scalp, murmuring, “Jack.”

Gentle lips pressed against his temple and Jack rumbled, “Afternoon, sleepyhead.”

Martin sighed deeply and rubbed at his eyes, opening them to find an unreadable expression on the other’s face. That was when he remembered that he was still in the middle of punishment and froze, not sure what to do.

“It’s okay, relax,” Jack promised, lips curving into an all-too-brief smile. “Time to talk, Martin.”

Nodding, Martin sat up when Jack got to his feet, and waited.

Jack paced a few times before coming to a stop in the middle of the room, looking at him seriously as he asked, “Do you trust me, Martin?”

“Of course I do,” Martin replied instantly.

But Jack shook his head, holding up a finger. “No. Don’t say what you think I want to hear. I don’t want any lies, half-truths, or guesses, only what you know or feel to be true. Do. You. Trust. Me?”

Martin hesitated, then answered, “I do...to an extent.”

“Okay. Now we’re getting somewhere,” Jack said. “To what extent do you trust me?”

“That you aren’t going to beat or rape me. That you’re not going to hurt me on purpose. That you...care for me. That you’ll protect me from harm.”

His answer seemed to disappoint Jack, but Martin didn’t take it back. Jack had said he wanted the truth, and he would take the other man at his word.

Jack half-smiled and said, “Trust takes time, so I’m not surprised you don’t completely trust me. I’m a little...disappointed...but I can see where you’re coming from. Victor Fitzgerald is a complete and utter bastard and when you grow up with that, it’s hard to learn to trust that someone who says they love you, really means it. Or maybe you don’t even know what that really means, but that’s for another time and probably a session with a shrink. What I want to know is if you trust me not to hurt you, and you trust me to protect you, why didn’t you tell me about what Marie was doing?”

Martin’s pause was a lot longer this time, but he finally answered truthfully, if slowly, “I didn’t think that you’d, that you would take my side over hers. She’s your wife, Jack, why would you side with me? Why would you even believe me? I th-thought that you’d, that you would want, you know, to break the contract because I was too much trouble. I am too much trouble, I know that, and I’m sorry for that, but...”

“But...?”

“But I want to stay,” Martin whispered, fighting the tears that threatened.

Jack seemed to melt at that, dark eyes too sad, and he closed the distance between them with slow, careful movements, as if trying not to startle Martin. When he stood directly in front of him, Jack cupped Martin’s face and said simply, “And I want you to stay, Martin. I always will, because I love you. It’s probably going to take time for you to believe that, but it’s true and I’ll repeat it, and show you that I mean it, as often as you need me to.”

Martin didn’t resist when Jack slid his hand to the back of his neck and tugged him down for a short, tender kiss.

“Let’s get one more thing clear between us before we put this behind us, all right?”

Martin nodded, wiping at his eyes.

“No more lies. If you have a problem, you tell me or Danny about it right away. If you need something, or even if you just want something, ask us. We’re not made of money around here, but I’m sure as hell not going to deny you most things. Understood?”

A fragile sense of happiness began to creep up in Martin and he nodded again.

“I’ve called the credit company and they’re sending a replacement for the card Marie cut up. You’ll have a budget, like we agreed to in the beginning, but other than that, you can buy whatever you want. I, ah, talked to Marie and she’s going back to work. On the days that you don’t come into the office with us, you’ll have the run of the house and stay with the girls when they get home after school. Well. Unless you don’t want to?”

Martin shook his head and agreed hastily, “I’d love to, they’re great.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Jack said. “We can get a sitter.”

“I want to,” Martin promised.

Jack squinted at him a moment before saying, “All right, but feel free to change your mind later, if it’s not up your alley.”

“Okay.”

It was Jack’s turn to hesitate. It took a several long seconds for him to announce, “I had another contract drawn up for us. All three of us. Because I kind of thought some of this might be coming from a little insecurity. Here, take a look.”

Martin took the envelope that Jack pulled from inside his jacket. He opened it and took out the contract inside. It was only a single page and set in the plainest language:

I, John Francis Malone, take Martin Fitzgerald as my Lifelong Concubine, should he so desire, for as long as he so desires. I bequeath to him my slave, Danny Taylor, serial number 117936779JFM, in the event of my demise or incapacity. Pursuant to my living will and trust, Martin Fitzgerald is to receive all of my earthly possessions in the event that my death precedes his, minus a prearranged stipend and trust for the care of my children born from my wife, Marie Shelley Malone, or from Martin Fitzgerald, or from Danny Taylor.

So say I, John Francis Malone, on this date November 12, 2004.

----------------------------      -----------------------------

Martin Fitzgerald                                  Date

“All you have to do is sign it,” Jack murmured.

Shock rendered Martin mute and he stared at Jack in utter disbelief.

Jack shifted on his feet and said, “You’re makin’ me nervous here, Martin. Not that you have to decide today or anything. I just wanted you to have that, to know how much you mean to me. I’ve already changed my will, but it’s being processed, so it’ll be a few days before I can get you a copy.”

Clearing his throat, Martin held out his hand and rasped, “I need a pen.”

A brilliant happiness lit Jack’s face and Martin felt himself melt at the sight of him. He took the pen with shaking hands and bend at the nightstand table to sign the Contract. Folding it up, he held it out to Jack, who took it and replaced it in the envelope, putting it back in his inner coat pocket. Jack held out his hand and said, “C’mon. Let’s go give Danny the good news. We’ll celebrate this weekend. I’ve got this cabin we like to go to that you haven’t seen yet.”

Martin took the hand in his and brought it up to his mouth to kiss the palm. Suddenly and voraciously hungry, he asked hopefully, “Is there any cheesecake left?”

Jack laughed out loud and pulled him in for a long, deep kiss. “I think we can find some, yeah.”

Grinning, Martin pulled Jack’s arm over his shoulder and they left the guest room to find Danny and the cheesecake.

*  *  *  *

Jack was relieved that things had been settled with relatively little emotional damage. It still stung that Martin didn’t trust him as much as he wanted the other man to, but it made sense, too. Victor Fitzgerald had done a number on Martin over a very long period of time; a few months of having people say they loved him wasn’t going to overcome that kind of brainwashing. He made a note to look into psychologists for real the following week, knowing that Martin should have someone objective and understanding to talk to.

When they walked into the kitchen, Danny was there making supper. Jack grinned and said, “Get out the cheesecake, Danny, Martin’s hungry.”

A brilliant smile lit Danny’s face, dark eyes sparkling as he stopped cutting up vegetables and set the knife aside. He moved to get it out and Jack sat at the kitchen table, pulling Martin down onto his lap. Martin squawked in surprise, but curled up over him happily enough, one of his hands rubbing Jack’s lower back and his head resting on Jack’s shoulder.

Danny held out a dessert plate filled with a double-sized portion of the cheesecake and Jack flashed him a curious look. He grinned and answered, “I figured that you two would be sharing.”

Martin took the plate with an eager sound, but Jack said, “Hang on, Martin, just hold it on your lap.”

Though he looked puzzled, Martin did so. Jack took the fork from the plate and used it to start feeding Martin. The younger man flushed, but looked shyly pleased and opened his mouth to accept the confection. Catching Danny’s gaze, Jack wasn’t surprised to find a happy expression in place. One of his favorite things to do these days was to feed Martin. Seeing them do it was probably one of his fantasies.

Hmm. Maybe I should bring some chocolate syrup to bed one of these nights and we can feed Danny, Jack thought, grinning.

Danny quirked an eyebrow at him, clearly sensing that his thoughts weren’t completely on feeding Martin, but only went back to fixing supper. They were about halfway through when Martin burped and blushed, hiding his face against Jack’s throat as he apologized, “Sorry, excuse me.”

Laughing, Jack just said, “Sounds like you’re about done there.”

“Definitely,” Martin agreed with a contented sigh.

“Daddy! Martin!” Hannah shrieked happily, running into the kitchen. “Martin, you’re not sick anymore!”

“Nope, he’s all better,” Jack confirmed, reaching out to tousle his elder daughter’s hair.

It took all of three seconds for her to notice the half-eaten cheesecake and demand, “Can I have some? Please, Daddy?”

“Jack, don’t you dare! She’ll never eat tonight.”

Grinning at Danny, Jack replied, “Sure, honey, finish this off. Martin can’t eat any more of it.”

“Yay!”

“Jack!”

Jack waved off his irritation and said, “So she has something light later on. It won’t kill her, Danny, relax.”

There were some muttered Spanish curses, but Hannah was, fortunately, already engrossed in asking Martin how he felt and if he was well enough to show her more on the computer and so didn’t hear them. Normally having his daughters be bilingual was a good thing, but it also meant that eventually, they’d be able to curse in more than one language, which he wasn’t looking forward to. Then he realized he was short a daughter and asked, “Hey. Where’s your sister?”

Hannah gave him an exasperated look. “At Brownies, silly.”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Danny corrected, tapping her lightly on the head.

She gave an exaggerated eye roll and showed him the current mouth-full in response. Jack coughed to cover his amusement as his daughter and his slave went happily back and forth with casual, fourth-grade insults. One thing was for sure, his girls weren’t shy about speaking their minds.

Martin grew heavier as the afternoon wore into evening, his responses slowing into nothing, when he fell asleep right on Jack’s lap. Jack let him, enjoying the feel of him and playing with the short hair at the back of his neck while Danny helped Hannah with her homework and dinner cooked in the oven. It was a domestic scene that filled him with such contentedness that Jack couldn’t remember being so happy before.

Kate and Marie came home about six, his youngest daughter screeching happily at the sight of Martin finally out of his room. That, of course, woke the Concubine from his sleep and he barely had enough time to catch the six year old in his arms.

“Hey you, I think we’re probably too heavy for your Dad,” Martin scolded, moving to set her down.

But Jack stopped him and said, “Don’t worry, I can take it.”

Martin smiled at him, taking him at his word and settling Kate on his lap. She squirmed around a little, getting comfortable as she chatted away about the badge that she was working on in Brownies. Jack thought about it a second, then decided that yes, it was okay, if a little heavier than expected. Glancing over at Marie, who stood uncertainly at the door, he greeted, “Evening, Marie. You want to eat with us?”

Martin’s hand tightened on the back of his shirt and Danny stilled at the stove, but there was no protest from either man.

“I think maybe…”

“I’d like for you to join us,” Martin interrupted unexpectedly.

Marie looked more than a little stymied by the invitation, but accepted it a few moments later with a hesitant nod. She kissed the top of Hannah’s head as she walked by and took the seat beside her daughter. Offering Martin a brief smile, she said simply, “Thank you.”

Gently squeezing Martin’s hip, relieved by the turn of events, Jack leaned in to murmur into his ear, “Good job, Martin.”

He got a faint smile in return before Martin settled back down against him. It was more than Jack had any right to expect and he breathed easier at the apparent truce between wife and concubine. Not that he wouldn’t have stood between them if necessary, but he was glad he didn’t have to.

“All right everyone, supper’s ready. Hannah, Kate, come set the table.”

Danny’s announcement broke the remaining tension as the girls hopped off their respective seats to set the table. Jack nudged Martin off his lap and guided him into the chair beside him, keeping hold of his hand even after Martin was sitting. Looking around at the normal, everyday activities his family was engaged in, Jack relaxed the rest of the way.

It looked like things were going to be all right now.

*  *  *  *

The second the bedroom door closed behind them, Martin was surrounded by Jack and Danny. Jack seized his mouth in a hard, demanding kiss while Danny wrapped around him from behind, lightly humping against his ass. Between them, it took about a minute flat to get him undressed, even though they never stopped kissing and touching him. Eager, strong hands gripped and caressed him, rubbing all over his body. A hot, wet mouth sucked at his nipple before biting it and Martin moaned, arching into the sensation, his head falling back onto Danny’s shoulder.

Danny mouthed his throat, sucking and licking up to his ear while his hands squeezed Martin’s ass. Jack kept kissing him, over and over, delving into his mouth and tracing his tongue over everything in it. Before he knew it, they were at the bed, even though he didn’t remember walking over to it.

“Danny, on the bed, on your back,” Jack growled.

Less than five seconds later, Danny had obeyed, drawing his legs up and hooking his hands under his knees to expose himself. Martin swallowed a shock of lust at the sight; hard, leaking cock, the hole spasming as if in anticipation of being filled.

Jack moved behind Martin and rubbed against his back, sucking on his earlobe before saying, “He’s all yours, Martin, take him.”

Martin shuddered at the offering, his own cock jumping a little at the chance. Licking at his swollen lips, Martin moved closer, but didn’t actually go to take the slave. It wasn’t that they never did this, but it was sufficiently rare for him to hesitate. “We need lube, Jack.”

Nuzzling at his ear, Jack murmured, “No, Martin, I mean Claim him. He’s your slave now too, remember?”

Goosebumps erupted all over Martin as he shuddered at the thought of Claiming anyone, but Danny especially.

“We’ll go and pick out a Chain just from you this weekend. He’ll be owned by both of us, Martin, and the world’ll know just how special he is to have two Masters,” Jack continued, his hands rubbing over Martin’s hips. 

Jack walked him forward the rest of the way, body pressed full length against Martin from behind. Warm, moist lips traveled along his shoulder and throat, making it even more difficult to think about resisting, even if he’d wanted to, which he really didn’t.

“Look at him, Martin, so eager. Hard and wet, waiting just for you. He’s such a slut that nothing you could do to him would hurt him. Do you know he’s never bled for me, except that very first Claiming when he was a virgin? You can just sink into that tight ass and slam away without worrying about him, he’s always so ready for it.”

“Gods, Jack,” Martin moaned, leaning back against him. “You’ve got to stop, or I’ll come.”

A warm, wicked chuckle echoed at Martin’s ear and Jack whispered, “Don’t want that now, do we?”

Without warning, Jack’s hand squeezed the base of his cock, mercilessly twisting it so the flash of pain forced the impending orgasm back. Martin gasped and put his hand on Jack’s, stopping him, and offered a weak chuckle in response. “I’m good now, thanks.”

Jack huffed in amusement before ordering softly, “Take him, Martin, Claim him so he knows who his Masters are.”

Martin leaned forward, rubbing his hands over the hot, smooth flesh of Danny’s chest, feeling like it had been weeks instead of just a couple of days since he’d last touched it. That brought him close enough for his cock to slide against Danny’s, and they both groaned at the contact. Martin hesitantly brought the tip of his cock to Danny’s hole. He didn’t want to hurt Danny, so he went slow, pushing into the exquisitely tight heat and biting his lip to keep himself grounded and in check.

His lithe body arching, Danny gasped, “Martin! Oh God, Martin!”

Not stopping until he was buried all the way, Martin panted, his eyes clenched shut to keep himself still and let Danny get used to the penetration. Braced over him, Martin took a few minutes to get under control, then opened his eyes. Danny was smiling up at him, a trickle of sweat dripping down his temple and cheek to fall off his chin, which Martin couldn’t take his eyes from.

“Martin,” Danny whispered.

Martin brought his eyes up to meet Danny’s dark ones.

“Claim me, Martin, please.”

The breathy pleading caused Martin’s gut to clench and his body to jerk forward a little. He started moving then, just a little, using his hips to piston his cock in and out of the tight sleeve of flesh.

“That’s it, Martin, Claim him. He wants it so bad, can’t you see it?” Jack murmured in his ear. “He wants to be used hard, ridden into the mattress until he can’t even more, never mind walk. That’s how you like it, isn’t it Danny? Rough. You want to be mastered and Claimed, told what to do, how to take it. Tell Martin, Danny, tell him how you want it.”

Danny moaned, thrusting his body down to meet Martin’s, and gasped, “Yes! Fuck me harder, Martin, as hard as you can! I can take it, want it, so much, give it all to me, Claim me, bebe, Claim me so I feel it next week!”

Martin’s eyes rolled back at the words that kept him on edge as much as the actual fucking. He moved harder and faster, letting his natural instincts and the need to get as deep into Danny as he could take over. It wasn’t long before he was back on the edge, and then two of Jack’s fingers pushed into his ass, slick with lube, adding to the sensation. “Oh, God! Jack!”

“Give it to him, Martin, give it all to him,” Jack urged, thrusting his fingers in and out of Martin’s hole. “He wants your seed, wants you to plant it in him so deep it feels like he swallowed it. Isn’t that right, Danny? What are you, Danny? Tell Martin what you are!”

Danny moaned, his legs wrapping around Martin’s waist as he answered, “Your bitch, Jack, God, just your bitch! Want it so bad, please Martin, please, I’m yours too, anything, cualquier que deseas, just deeper, give it to me deeper!”

“Go on Martin, let go, just let it all go, baby, give it up to your slave.”

Martin cried out as he slammed a final time into Danny, coming hard enough to see the fireworks behind his eyelids. He collapsed, shaking and panting, onto Danny’s chest, completely boneless and limp, except for his cock, which was still spitting seed into Danny’s gut. Shuddering through the aftershocks, Martin moaned softly as Jack pressed his cock in, his inner muscles pushed aside to accommodate the other man’s substantial length and girth.

Jack set up a slow, easy rhythm, his hands massaging Martin’s back and shoulders in a heavy-handed caress. Martin just lay there, enjoying the feel of the dual sensations; being buried inside Danny’s body while Jack was fucking him. No…while Jack was loving him. Martin could feel the difference in the encounter, he could feel the love in every kiss that Jack bestowed on his spine or shoulder blade. He could feel it in the way Jack whispered his name, over and over, while his hands caressed every part of Martin’s body that they could reach.

And Danny was doing the same. His hands roamed Martin’s body, sometimes meeting up with Jack’s, sometimes not, but always touching and stroking with a gentleness that went right to his heart. Suddenly feeling that he hadn’t done enough for Danny, the slave hadn’t come after all, Martin pushed up on his elbows and kissed him. It was a long, slow, languid kiss, the kind that seemed to go on forever, wet and nasty and loving, all at once. Danny moaned into his mouth and his breathing hitched as it continued.

“Gods, you two are so hot like this,” Jack gasped, his thrusts increasing in force.

Martin clenched his ass tight, giving Jack more friction to work through, and thrilled to the chest-deep moan it provoked. Jack’s breathing sounded harsh in the air as his body possessed Martin’s, balls slapping against Martin’s ass. The sensations on his shaft as Jack’s body moved his, still buried in Danny’s body, caused it to get even harder. Danny’s hands had stopped their wandering, instead gripping Martin’s shoulders with bruising force as he writhed beneath him, panting.

Jack shoved in extra hard and fast several times in a row, which caused Martin to cry out in a mix of pain and pleasure. His own hips thrust forward to angle his cock deeper into Danny, whose mouth opened, but emitted no sound. Martin felt the wet heat of the slave’s come spatter against him, but it was the vice-like clamping of Danny’s ass on his cock that sent him over the edge into an even more devastating orgasm.

Humping savagely into him, Jack bit Martin’s shoulder as he came, filling him with his seed as copiously as Martin just had to Danny. The sharp pain was an adrenaline booster to an already too-high orgasmic thrill and Martin moaned, utterly limp on top of Danny as Jack continued to come inside him.

“Christ,” Jack finally gasped, forehead pressed between Martin’s shoulders. “I think, I had, a heart attack.”

Martin laughed weakly and licked along Danny’s sweaty chest, then agreed, “Me, too. And I didn’t even do anything that time.”

“Oh yeah you did,” Danny countered, voice lazy and sated.

“All right, Martin, breathe out for me so we can stop crushing Danny,” Jack ordered.

Hissing in pain as Jack pulled his cock free, Martin started to move when a firm hand held him pinned in place. He half-twisted back and frowned at Jack. “What is it?”

Slightly worried, Jack answered, “A little more blood than I like to see. Don’t move.”

Danny distracted him by combing his fingers through Martin’s damp hair and saying, “Definitely in the top five of my sexual experiences, bebe.”

Grinning briefly, Martin teased, “Only the top five?” then gasped in pain when a cool, damp cloth was held to his hole. Danny soothed him through the inspection, rubbing his hands up and down his flanks and speaking to him softly.

“It’s okay, it’s just a little tear,” Jack finally announced, withdrawing his fingers. “Just watch what you make him the next few days, Danny.”

Jack helped him stand as he slowly pulled free from Danny’s body. A little envious of the slave’s obvious satiation and little-to-no pain, he complained, “How come Danny doesn’t get hurt like this and I do?”

With a grin, Jack answered, “Because I’ve been breaking Danny in for almost three years now and only had you for about three months. Give it time, Martin. Now come on. Let’s get some sleep.”

Still a bit disgruntled by his own body’s intransigence, but easily letting his lovers pull him down into the bed, Martin settled into Jack’s arms, sprawled over his broad chest. Danny tugged the blankets up around them and shut off the light before he curled up against Martin’s back, hooking a leg over his ass and kissing the back of his neck. His fingers played with a patch of Jack’s chest hair as he slowly came down from the rest of his sexual high.

Danny fell asleep first, his breathing steady and slow, his arm going slack around Martin’s waist. Jack was next, his breath a consistent puff against Martin’s cheek. It was in the dark, surrounded by the two men who meant most to him in his life, that Martin finally realized just how loved he really was.

*  *  *  *

Jack did, unfortunately, have to go into work the next day to tie up some loose ends from the last case. They all slept later than usual, until about eight, then Martin and Danny watched as Jack got ready for work. When he was dressed, he reached over to cup each face in turn and give them both a brief, but thorough kiss. He sighed, looking down at them tangled in each other and the covers, and said, “Wish I could stick around, but I can’t. Call me if you need anything.”

“We will,” Danny promised. “Say hi to everyone.”

Smiling, Jack nodded and left the bedroom.

Danny nuzzled at Martin’s throat and curled up closer, resting his cheek on Martin’s chest as he said, “We should get breakfast. Hungry?”

“Mmm, yeah,” Martin answered sleepily.

God, he loved a sleepy Martin. The other man was so pliable and relaxed just after waking that it was unbelievable. He lightly humped against Martin’s hip and murmured, “Or we could work up an appetite.”

Martin chuckled through a yawn, turning his head to look at Danny. “No one would never know that you just got fucked six ways from Sunday not, what, ten hours ago? You’re insatiable!”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Danny teased, slowly wrapping his hand around Martin’s shaft. It grew harder in his hand and he continued, “Looks like I’m not the only one.”

Groaning in pleasure, Martin shifted onto his side, gently pushing his cock into Danny’s hand and taking Danny’s in his own. It was a lazy, unhurried jerkoff session with a lot of long, wet kisses. Danny arched silently when he came, thrusting into Martin’s tight hold as he spilled onto them both. Martin gave a soft cry of completion, mostly muffled against Danny’s shoulder. Then they both lay there panting and kissing between stupid grins at each other.

Danny finally sighed and said, “We should get up and eat. Still got to fatten you up, bebe.”

Shaking his head, Martin countered, “All my life, I’ve been told to be careful what I eat because I’d get fat and the two of you have been shoving food at me since I got here.”

He climbed out of bed and answered, more seriously, “Because you are way too skinny, Martin. Seriously. Your father should be shot for how he treated you, and I’m not just talking about the lack of proper eating habits he instilled in you, either.”

Martin flushed a little, but looked pleased by the comment and followed Danny to the bathroom. They played a little too long in the shower, though there wasn’t any real sex, just kisses and tickling and rude comments that kept them both laughing. When the water ran cool, Martin hurried out of the tub and Danny quickly jumped out, too. Once dressed, they headed downstairs to the kitchen, which was empty, and Danny ordered Martin to sit while he got breakfast together.

While he was cutting up an onion for omelets, Martin asked him, “Has Jack ever really punished you? Like, like he just did with me?”

Danny turned a rueful look his way and nodded. “Oh yeah. Especially when I first became a slave and sometimes forgot how to behave properly.”

Interested, Martin questioned, “Like how?”

“Well, this one time in particular stands out,” Danny started, putting down the knife and leaning on the counter to tell the story. He snorted as he remembered, shaking his head, and continued, “We were walking somewhere downtown when someone bumped into me. I didn’t even think, just told the guy to watch where the hell he was going.”

Martin winced.

“Yeah. Anyhow, this guy backhands me as he’s perfectly allowed to do and I come up swinging. Jack, fortunately, grabbed me before I could make contact and put me in a neck-lock to calm me down, then shoved me to my knees. He asked the guy if he wanted to beat me, also within his rights, but he said that as long as Jack would take care of it, he’d be satisfied. I just about pissed myself when Jack agreed that he would definitely be taking care of me. The guy nods and walks off, but I’m left with a seriously angry Jack on my hands.”

“So what happened?” Martin prompted, eyes wide.

“Jack didn’t say a single word on the drive home and I kept getting more and more scared about what was going to happen. Was he going to beat me? Whip me? Sell me off? Trust me, I was a nervous wreck by the time we got home. Once here, he brought me upstairs right away and told me to strip. I could barely stand upright, I was shaking so much, but I managed it. While I’m getting undressed, he’s somewhere else in the house, leaving me to think about what I’d done and what could have happened. When he came back, he was holding a length of chains and shackles, and a gag.”

“Oh, he didn’t!”

“Oh yes, he did,” Danny confirmed, groaning. “One loop around the waist so that when the cuffs were on, he could hook them down. I had just enough slack to get food to my mouth if I bent over, but that was it. And it was a ball gag too, though not a really big one, so I could barely make noise, I sure couldn’t talk. The chains rattled and clinked whenever I moved and he made me wear them for a week straight, right along with the gag. When we weren’t at work, on the weekend, he made me sit on the stoop in full view of the whole neighborhood.

“I’d never been so humiliated in my life. I was absolutely miserable, but more because I’d let Jack down than having to wear that contraption. He barely even spoke to me that entire week and all I wanted was his forgiveness. I was desperate for him to let me beg for it, if he’d only let me, but he didn’t. Not until the full week had passed.”

Distressed by the picture he’d painted, Martin stepped forward and hugged him, holding him tight. Danny laughed softly and assured him, “It’s okay, Martin, honest. It was a lesson that I had to learn. Jack can be incredibly devious when it comes to stuff like that.”

Still holding on, Martin sighed and muttered, “He sure can.”

Danny kissed his temple and swatted him lightly on the butt. “Anyhow, I learned to think before I spoke and to not raise my hand to a freeman. Well, except in the line of duty, of course.”

Sighing, Martin pulled back, saying, “So there were more times when Jack punished you like that?”

“Oh, no two times are alike, mostly because I learn not to make the same mistake twice, which forces Jack to get creative.” Danny snorted. He paused, then asked, “What do you really want to ask me, Martin?”

Martin bit his lip, then questioned, “Has he ever lost control? I mean, really lost it?”

At that, Danny had to nod, however reluctantly. “Jack’s a man who feels things really deeply, Martin, you know that. When someone he loves or cares about is threatened, he tends to go off the deep end. There was once when a prisoner somehow got loose and grabbed me. Had a gun to my head and everything. He was totally crazy and Viv was trying to talk him down, while Sam and other agents had their guns on the guy. Jack just comes right out of nowhere and grabs the guy from behind. Snaps his neck and kills him in a blink. Still gives me goosebumps to think about it.”

“But, so, he’s never lost it with you though?”

“Me? No, Martin, never. Jack’ll lose his temper with me on a pretty regular basis, but mostly because I’m asking for it. He might even birch me until I can’t sit down for a week, depending on what I do, but he’d never really hurt me. Is that what you’re worried about? That he’ll lose control and hurt one of us for real?” Danny asked, dismayed. If Martin could think that, then they weren’t nearly as far along down the road to trust that Jack thought.

But Martin shook his head. “It’s not that, no. I just…I’m not used to someone having those kinds of, well, boundaries. I’m just trying to figure out what those boundaries are, you know?”

Well that made sense. Relaxing, Danny answered, “Don’t worry, Martin. When you hit one, you’ll know it, trust me.”

Martin grinned suddenly. “Yeah, I kinda figured that would be the case. Just, forewarned and all that jazz, you know?”

Laughing, Danny turned back to preparing breakfast as he said, “I understand, my friend, I really do.”

Smiling, Martin sat back down and teased, “Well? Where’s my breakfast, slave?”

“Ooh. Someone’s feelings important,” Danny countered, chuckling as he cracked eggs into the bowl. “Wait ‘til Jack gets home, then we’ll see who’s really in charge.”

Martin laughed and Danny hummed happily to himself as he started cooking. Things were going to settle down for real now, he could just tell. This weekend at the cabin would give them the well-deserved mini-vacation to reconnect without the distractions of the real world. They would love and laugh and just be together.

It sounded like heaven.

*  *  *  *

Victor hadn’t really thought it would be that easy to get Martin back, but he’d been hoping. Scowling at the pictures on his desk, he hissed, “You’re not going to have him for much longer, Malone, so enjoy him while you’ve got him.”

Taking a black marker from the pen-holder, Victor proceeded to cross out Jack Malone and his slave Danny from the picture of the three men his private detective had taken. Martin looked much too happy as the three of them exited the Federal building together, something that he was going to take care of in very short order.

Malone would give him the chance to grab Martin soon, Victor could feel it in his bones. Then he’d break his son of such foolish thoughts of independence and autonomy. No one left him unless they were discarded, first.

No one.